Car battery for emergency power?
- Thread starter T Diddy
- Start date
I have a large APC that was supposed to run a network for my office. It runs a small ATO pump. Gives me a little flow for a few hours. Using car batteries creates different needs. You'll need controls for switching power. You'll also need a trickle charger to keep the battery charged. There are a few other ways but you need to be there for an outage with them.
Well damn, this cold really is messing with me. I should have known that you’d know too.
You can get a converter that with change the DC to AC and power a small powerhead for quite a while. I used on after a hurricane with no power for 8 days. It does take some work and you do need to be there to get it running. That was before APC's became more affordable. There are now many different power banks out there in all sizes, depending on how deep your pockets are.
A heater will kill a battery fast but most flow pumps (10-40w) could run a long time. This chart is not specific to us but still is a guideline. The middle row is most typical for cars not breaking the bank.
Hong Kong
Active member
Old post but to continue with simple solutions. Car battery is not good for any backup and the only proper solar panel charging contrroller and solar batteries can be used to properly manage backup in case of power missing.
Use simple solar panels one small solar controller and 2 batteries for solar systems. Place one converter and only basic pump for flow the most low amperes and consumption that market can offer and to size of your aquarium.
Some systems can backup for up to 8 hours without any problems but for longer periods days as you mentioned than need petrol generators and there is many small enough strong for all equipment on one setup.
Honda is very expensive generators but reliable. Chinese crap after few months go to hell. Simply melted assembled from recycled metal mixed with all gunk ect. Trust me its made to suck money not stay well years. Tired of their crap quality. Maybe in US you have good protection of customers and guaranties here in Europe in Eastern countries Chinese crap is imported without any check or standard inspections.
ok. Last offer i receive from shop in Germany there is the well pump and back up battery from Ecotech Vectra pumps for example S2 for 323 Euro , Ecotech Marine vectra battery backup booster 34 Euro and battery backup 224 Euro cca all around 600 Euro with delivery.
Find more on Home - EcoTech Marine and there is many retailers in US.
Use simple solar panels one small solar controller and 2 batteries for solar systems. Place one converter and only basic pump for flow the most low amperes and consumption that market can offer and to size of your aquarium.
Some systems can backup for up to 8 hours without any problems but for longer periods days as you mentioned than need petrol generators and there is many small enough strong for all equipment on one setup.
Honda is very expensive generators but reliable. Chinese crap after few months go to hell. Simply melted assembled from recycled metal mixed with all gunk ect. Trust me its made to suck money not stay well years. Tired of their crap quality. Maybe in US you have good protection of customers and guaranties here in Europe in Eastern countries Chinese crap is imported without any check or standard inspections.
ok. Last offer i receive from shop in Germany there is the well pump and back up battery from Ecotech Vectra pumps for example S2 for 323 Euro , Ecotech Marine vectra battery backup booster 34 Euro and battery backup 224 Euro cca all around 600 Euro with delivery.
Find more on Home - EcoTech Marine and there is many retailers in US.
wvned
Premium Member
As someone that experienced a 5 day power outage in winter.
We bought a whole house generator.
I had a large 5000w generator that ran my return pumps and heaters. It will hold the tanks for an 8-12 hour outage. When the temperature in the house fell to 50 the heaters in the tank were not enough to keep the tank temp and it fell to 73. I had doubled the amount of heaters I ran too. I had 1800w of heaters in the sump. All I had. It would have fallen farther but the power came back. We have a gas stove type heater in the basement that will hold the lower levels at 50 degrees when it it 20 out.
I lost some soft corals but everything else survived. Had the outage gone 20 more hours I would have lost everything.
There is planning and then there is planning for the worst.
We bought a whole house generator.
I had a large 5000w generator that ran my return pumps and heaters. It will hold the tanks for an 8-12 hour outage. When the temperature in the house fell to 50 the heaters in the tank were not enough to keep the tank temp and it fell to 73. I had doubled the amount of heaters I ran too. I had 1800w of heaters in the sump. All I had. It would have fallen farther but the power came back. We have a gas stove type heater in the basement that will hold the lower levels at 50 degrees when it it 20 out.
I lost some soft corals but everything else survived. Had the outage gone 20 more hours I would have lost everything.
There is planning and then there is planning for the worst.
Hong Kong
Active member
Well done. The one of usefull way is solar panels and good quality solar batteries (not car at all)
inverter just enough to keep approx. heater and 1 circulating pump. Without lights few days will not be
big boom and allways using some mirror can add some lights to aquarium...
Yes im for petrol small generators up to 3000 W + combination with solar panel way.
As we have in Europe 2 electrical prices a day 3 times cheaper by night from 00.00-07.00 AM
this help recharge very well solar batteries when drop down in very bad winter weather without solar radiation.
For first instance Im going to order theEcotech Vectra S2 enough for 8-10 hours.
As we dont have such a black outs days in Europe max. few hours this will work well.
Additionaly will add solar panel, controller, inverter for main equipment.
About petrol generators on market is so many Chinese that i hate will If i decide buy Honda and sleep well.
inverter just enough to keep approx. heater and 1 circulating pump. Without lights few days will not be
big boom and allways using some mirror can add some lights to aquarium...
Yes im for petrol small generators up to 3000 W + combination with solar panel way.
As we have in Europe 2 electrical prices a day 3 times cheaper by night from 00.00-07.00 AM
this help recharge very well solar batteries when drop down in very bad winter weather without solar radiation.
For first instance Im going to order theEcotech Vectra S2 enough for 8-10 hours.
As we dont have such a black outs days in Europe max. few hours this will work well.
Additionaly will add solar panel, controller, inverter for main equipment.
About petrol generators on market is so many Chinese that i hate will If i decide buy Honda and sleep well.
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